Remains of Tanzanian hostage from Hamas attack recovered from Gaza

Jerusalem, Israel | ALL AFRICA.COM | Joshua Loitu Mollel, a 21-year-old Tanzanian national who was among five African victims of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, has been found dead in Israel, bringing closure to his family’s two-year ordeal.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said his remains were recovered from Gaza on November 5, 2025, following extensive search operations for hostages and victims. He was the only African whose body had remained in Hamas captivity.

Mollel’s death had been officially confirmed in December 2023, and the IDF expressed condolences to his family, reaffirming its commitment to recover all remaining hostages.

A native of Tanzania’s Manyara Region, Mollel had travelled to Israel through a joint agricultural internship programme. The Israeli Embassy in Kenya mourned his loss, describing him as a promising young man dedicated to uplifting his community.

Mollel was one of five African victims of the Hamas attacks, which also killed another Tanzanian student, two Eritrean asylum seekers, and one Sudanese national, among the more than 1,200 people killed and 250 hostages abducted in the assault that sparked the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

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SOURCE: ALL AFRICA.COM